PartingsHow it Should Have Been
by javaangel
Summary: I know there have been many variations to the now infamous blow up in the season 6 episode 'Partings' but this hasn't been done before. I think it's pretty good, but then again, I wrote it, so I'm a little Biased. I won't know for sure unless you R&R! JJ
1. Chapter 1

"No! I'm not waiting! It's now or never!"

"I don't like ultimatums!"

"Well, I don't like Mondays, but unfortunately they come around eventually!"

"I can't just jump like this," there it was. The thing is, he could if he wanted to. That's what it came down to. She had known it in the back of her mind for a long time, and had finally come to terms with it last week at the realtor's office. The wedding wasn't going to happen. He didn't want it to happen.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," she wasn't just sorry, she felt like her heart was being ripped out of her chest. She felt a sob escape. It wasn't that she didn't want to wait, she couldn't.

"And I have to go"

Even after a blow up of a few seconds before, and turning away from him, Lorelai still hoped against hope that he would run after her. But she gave up that hope when she turned the corner.

GGLLGG

Luke just stood there, stunned. He thought that she had been ok with the waiting. He somehow knew in the back of his mind that it was hurting her, but he didn't know to what extent. For the first time in what must have been months, he had really seen the pain in her eyes. The desperation, the heartbreak.

as soon as she turned the corner, he came out of the daze he was in. He knew he had to do something. the person who meant the world to him, his everything, was slipping though his fingers like water, when tried to be contained in cupped hands.

It was worse than that, though, it was like he opened his hands, bit by bit, and didn't even realize what he was doing until it was too late. But was it? There had to be a way to still make it better.

And with that he took off after her.

GGLLGG

Lorelai didn't know exactly where she was going, or how far she would make it before she broke down.

Not far. When she made it to the middle of the bridge, she collapsed, her body convulsing in sobs.(A/N: yes, the 'jess/Rory bridge',)

for months, she had been lying to everyone, including herself, about how she was feeling. Now all the pent-up emotion came out, wave upon wave of grief, the heaviness of what she had lost bearing down on her shoulders. She didn't hear when the very man she was thinking of came close to her...

GGLLGG

Luke saw her collapse, saw her shaking with everything she had been holding inside. How had he not seen this? In the past, he could always tell what was bothering her without her even needing to tell him. What was different now? He had been oblivious for months. The fact that he had caused her to doubt his love, hurt worse than a hundred guns, a thousand knives. He loved her more than life itself. He cautiously stepped toward her and she looked up...

A/N-yes, I'm mean. I hate when other people end a chapter in a cliff hanger, but I love doing it. Don't worry though, if I get reviews I will post the next chapter tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

At the sound of footsteps on the bridge, Lorelai looked up. Standing less than 3 feet away was Luke. What was he doing here? At the look on his face, she started to realize that it was possible that he still loved her. 'No, its not. He doesn't want to marry me. He shut me out of his life for six months. That isn't showing love. Keeping a huge secret, like the fact that you have a daughter, isn't showing love.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Luke took a deep breath and stepped toward her. At the look of immense pain on her face, memories came flooding back. The many times he had seen her upset; the end of her previous engagement to max, when Christopher got Sherrie pregnant, and last year, when Rory dropped out of school. And when he thought back, she had pain on her face when he postponed the wedding. How didn't he notice? How had he been so blind to the pain she was feeling? Then he realized that though he had seen her with her heart injured before, he had never seen her with it shattered into a million pieces, like it was now.

The weight of this, and everything that had happened in the last six months, hit him all at once, and for the first time in a long time, he felt his legs give out from under him, and fell to his knees right beside her.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

They were both waiting for the other person to speak first. After what could have been seconds, minutes, or hours, Lorelai spoke. But she couldn't get more than one word out.

"Why?" she didn't have to say what she was talking about. They both knew: April

"I honestly couldn't give you a reason that's acceptable. But I think I didn't tell you because I was scared."

She looked up at Luke's face, and saw he was being sincere. Scared? "Of what? You didn't think I would honestly be mad at you for having a kid, did you? If I did, that would be extremely hypocritical. I have a kid, and had her at a much younger age. And it's not like you chose to stay out of her life."

"I was afraid that I would be a bad father. And you would see that, and wouldn't want to marry me, and find someone who could be a good father."

"Luke,not I, nor anyone else, could ever think of you as a bad father. I saw you with Rory for years, even though she wasn't technically your daughter; you treated her like she was. Even before you and I got together, you were the only father figure she ever had. Ask her, and I'm sure she'd say the same thing"

"Maybe, but Rory's one of the easiest kids in the world to get along with. She's extremely low-maintenance."

"From what I know about April, and it's not much," Luke looked extremely guilty at this last comment, "So is she. In many ways, she reminds me of Rory. Smart, good kid, raised by a single mother. The most important difference is that Christopher chose not to be a part of Rory's life. You had no say in the matter."

"Yea, but-"

"No buts, Luke! You worried so much about there being a problem, you created one. I would have in no way, shape, or form, have been upset with you for having a daughter. I would have been shocked, but we could have worked it out together. And that's where you made your second mistake. Even after I knew (from April, not you, by the way), I was still kept out of your life. And you had to have found out not long after we made that 'no secrets' promise. Did that only count for me? Cause I thought it was a two-sided deal."

"Lorelai, it was. It's just that right after I found out, Rory was back, and everything was good. Then there were several times I tried to tell you, but I chickened out. I know I should have told you right away, but for some reason I didn't"

"How long would you have kept it from me? Since I found out from April, you still hadn't technically told me, so how long would it have gone on? I had asked you several times if something was going on with you, and you said there wasn't. You lied to me, constantly, for two months!" and with that, the tears started again. Luke wrapped his arm around her, and she leaned into him, crying into his chest. "I know, and I hate myself for it. Everything will get better, I promise."

"You know what's funny? Not as in 'ha ha' funny but interesting? Anna said something very similar. She said that she couldn't trust me around April until we were married. And you say that you want to wait until everything's good with April before we get married. That means it will be an endless cycle, neither will happen"


	3. Chapter 3

Luke looked at her with shock. "Anna said that?"

"Yeah and I understand where she's coming from. I've been engaged before and you've been married before. It makes sense. I mean, we don't even have a wedding date, it's like we're not engaged at all. And you're not living at my house, we talked less than we did when we were dating, hell, less than we did before we got together."

"Is the communication really that bad? I mean I know I shouldn't have kept April from you, but since then, I thought we were doing good."

"Open your eyes, Luke! I mean look at the toast I made at lane's wedding. Wait a minute, you weren't there because you were too busy spending time with your daughter."

"Are you actually mad at me for spending time with my daughter? And what toast?"

"No! I'm not mad at you for spending time with her. I'm upset with you for keeping me out of your life. I'm going to be her step mother! Do you not want that to happen?

"of course I want it to happen! And you still haven't answered my last question"

"at Lane's wedding, I gave a toast. I basically said for everybody to do whatever they wanted on june third. And that I was never getting married"

"Do you not want to get married?"

"Yes, Luke! That's what this whole thing tonight was about!"

"Ok, other than talking to Anna, which happened, what last week, week before? Something happened to make you snap. Did something happen at the dinner with your parents?"

"You could say that. My mother decided to do her match-making thing with Christopher. She invited a daughter of a friend of hers. Said daughter's name is lynnie. She's a psychologist. And after dinner, I spent a decent amount of time talking to lynnie. About my life, my parents, and you. And she said, and I quote, "you don't really seem to have him now. You won't get anything unless you ask for it"

"Ok, what do you say we set the wedding date back to June Third? I know between now and then we can't really plan a big wedding. But we can go to Martha's Vineyard and invite Rory and April, and whoever else you want to be there."

"I don't want you to do this just because you're afraid of losing me. I only want you to do this if its what you really want"

He looked her in the eye and said "It's what I want. I love you, Lorelai, I don't say that nearly often enough. So what do you say? Can we go down to Martha's Vineyard and have our wedding on June third?"

A smile broke out through her tears. "God, Luke, yes!"She said and wrapped her arms around him. "There's nothing I want more in the world"

"I'm glad we're on the same page," Luke said as he leaned in to kiss her.


End file.
